Ever since Christmas ended, I've had trouble vocalizing this bum feeling I'm totting around. As I was writing an email yesterday, it came to me: the holiday hangover. I also thought of "reality bites," but holiday hangover sounds better. I mean we spend one day for everything we prepared the month for, and then the day is over and we're expected to go back to normal lives. Tear. Why isn't Christmas longer?
And another thing -- don't tell me that New Years is a "hair of the dog" cure-all for the hang over (Josh told me about this fitting phrase). New Years, is anti-climatic. It never really what you hope it will be (i.e. the awesome party you see in the movies with sparklers and champagne at a really cool venue...nope, never happens).
Sigh, back to no decorations or fun music at home (or work). Instead, its back to reality. This hit me when I got home and spend all day yesterday doing the laundry, cleaning the house, putting things away, going to work.
Bah Humbug (in the opposite sense). Holiday Hangover.
If you're suffering the same, perhaps my Encinitas sunset photos will help cheer you up. Oh and Happy New Year Okay, I'll stop being a hum-drum and complaining - this whole email is a complaint, HA!. Side Note: Isn't it crazy we're headed into another decade?
Or should I say Josh and Heather came to town..two towns to be exact: Indio and Encinitas. Indio with the Browns and Encinitas with the O'Neills. Yup, both parents are now down in SoCal, so we were able to squeeze in the holiday with both families. Josh flew down a day before me since I had a work shift, but I followed shortly after and arrived at our first stop, the Browns, on Wednesday afternoon.
Christmas Part 1 - Brown's in Indio As I was about to get off the plane at Palm Springs (after a tad bit of turbulence), I noticed we had to go outside once off the plane. Ick, outside, that means cold (or at least that's what my brain translates "outside" these days). However, to my delight I stepped out to a wonderfully warm and sunshiny day. Ahh, melt. Then to top it off, Don and Nada took us to froyo. And it gets better because the flavor was cookies 'n creme. Heaven! And that was the first of the Christmas joys.
The rest of Wednesday was a bit of this and that. We visited some of the Brown's family friends, the Harvey's. We also had dinner at Papa Dan's where Josh's childhood brother-friend (a friend that's like a brother), Kevin, is manager.
Christmas Eve began with some Nada-Heather time getting fabulous manis and pedis. It'd been far too long since my little feeties and handies got some love - too much coffee making, cleaning, and cold weather drying them out. They came out much energized, or at least however hands and feet can be energized.
After nails there was a whirl-wind of errands and Christmas prep time. Suddenly 4pm rolled around and we at the Christmas Eve service at the Southwest Community Church. I was happy to find that they sang multiple carols and the big finale was Silent Night with candles. There was a weird attempt at a skit with mountaineers on clouds acting as angels and some crazy electric guitar version of Carol of the Bells, but all-in-all a nice service.
After the service, we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at a seafood/steak restaurant called Pacifica. I had a lovely whitefish and a very tasty lemon drop. I even got to add to the the toast: "God bless us everyone." Then the Eve was tied up with some initial gift unwrapping with Aunt Ester back at the hacienda.
The sun shone in on Christmas morning and Santa had made a visit. We dove straight into our stockings where we all got various sorts of fun things - chocolates, notebooks, iTunes cards, and more. A quick break of the fast (aka breakfast) with some yummy multigrain pancakes. But not too long of a break because we were right back with unwrapping gifts from under the tree. Josh gave me a beautiful Tiffany heart necklace - woohoo, my first (and probably only) blue box! Side Note: I'm keeping the cute box. Also I got a super soft, warm vest and turtleneck from Don and Nada. Josh and I also received a nice set of pans for some fabulous cooking - perhaps a Food Network recipe.
We packed up and off we went over the desert and through the mountains (no river or woods, but sorta similar). The road lead us to the beach which brings us to...
Christmas Part 2 - O'Neill's in Encinitas The minute we arrived, the O'Neill clan (aka mom, dad, and Lindsay) were ready and waiting. They held off all Christmas rituals until our arrival. They had the house prepared and food cooking for the big dinner feast at evening, so we got straight to the unwrapping (after a quick bite to eat). With the O'Neill tradition we started with the gifts under the tree. I must have been a good girl this year because I received all sorts of good stuff - rain boots, mittens, scarves, warm jacket, cozy PJs. Notice the list, they go right along this year's gift theme: warmth. Now I can say I'm all suited up for chilly weather. Additionally, I got a few tech things like an ear piece - Oregon is going to start the hands-free law in 2010. Josh got great stuff too. My gift to him was a nice, warm PJ set.
We had to go-go-go and move straight to stockings before the company arrived for dinner. The traditions were kept and we all sat in our usual places at the fireplace area and opened one gift at a time in a circle. More cute little stuff and goodies.
Starting around 3:30pm, the guests started to arrive. As tradition goes, we had a bunch of our family friends over for a big feast (our friends included the Hartleys and the Troglers). Before indulging in the xmas gluttony, we all sat around the tree and caught up on each others past year and holidays. We even opened some more gifts (I think my fingers should hurt from the unwrapping by this point - hehe, no complaining here though).
Dinner was fabulously delicious with roast turkey (very juicy), mashed pototoes, sweet potato casserole*, Brussels sprouts*, jello (my mom's famous jello with fruit), stuffing, and oh so much more. And don't forget dessert of pie, velvet pudding, chocolates, and cookies. (* = you may recall both dishes from my recipe collection & earlier posts).
And that wraps up (pun intended) yet another wonderful Christmas. Josh and I were blessed in that we were able to see both parents. I had such a great holiday, and to get somewhat mushy here, I feel like a very lucky person to be able to spend the holidays with those I love. I'm so glad I was able to get a few days to spend some quality time with the families - the perfect gift! This comes a bit belated now, but...Merry Christmas!
Christmas pictures are posted on my Flickr site - Check them out! Bonus pictures too from our walk on the beach the day-after-Christmas.
Start singing: I'll be home for Christmas; You can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe; and presents under the tree.
Okay, now take out the snow part and it'd be just about fitting (no snow in SoCal). Tomorrow (Wednesday), I'm flying down home for the holidays. To start, I'm going to Palm Springs to spend some time with the Browns (that would be Josh's parents). Josh and I will be with them for Christmas Eve and early morning. Then we'll jump in the car and head to Encinitas to spend Christmas day and evening with my family. We'll have all our usual Christmas dinner friends & a regular, ole holiday feast.
And, oh boy, I've been preparing and waiting for the big Christmas day. I've been busy in the kitchen making cookies. Of course, Pepparkakor has been baked and enjoyed. Kakor what? It's a traditional Swedish cookie I learned from Grandma Norma. It's like a gingersnap slash sugar cookie because it requires cookie cutters. Then there is my Holiday Biscotti, which is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe that I've been making for a few years now. I've tested two new recipes too. First, I tried Peppernuts (or Pfeffernusse in German) to pay respects to my German heritage and friends. Second new recipe was from my December Cooking Light, Mexican Chocolate. These had pepper and cayenne in them. I used local chocolate, Euphoria, at 70% cocoa. Big hit. Whew, that's all I managed this year. Still a nice array though if you ask me. (And they are packed in my suitcase to bring to everyone).
As I write this very post, I'm watching It's a Wonderful Life. I've just about gone through all my favorite Christmas movies. I've been also listening non-stop to Christmas music!
If I don't post beforehand, Merry Christmas Everyone!!
One of my favorites, before I liked coffee even, was Chai lattes. With the holiday baking I've been doing lately I am reminded of all the yummy spices - many of which are in Chai (or at least remind me of it or taste good with it). I've been enjoying this drink but I add some vanilla twist to it. How to “call it” (order it)? Tall Sugar-Free Vanilla Chai Latte.
This year I'm going digital with my christmas note. I thought this would be the best, and most efficient way to reach everyone. Not to mention, it's getting late in the year at this point and I can post to my blog immediately - no having to wait for the snail mail system.
Blog
Speaking of my blog, this is actually a nice segue into a first topic of my mini 2009 review. I started my blog late summer and have been keeping it up ever since. I've been writing about all my adventures and random thoughts. You might see me say things like joy or joy.us - this is reference to my blog (recall my middle name is Joy). The .us is the domain (to be technically accurate it's a top-level domain, TLD). All this joy stuff is like branding myself - yup, that's my marketing major popping out. Anyway, this is a great way to see what's going on in the life of Heather, so check it out.
Skiing in Tahoe
January I headed out to the slopes with a group of college friends. Melissa, Jimmy, and I skied most of the day together after a quick, reminder class. Then we hit up the easy slopes and enjoyed a sunny day in the snow.
Long Distance Life
Before making the big move up to Oregon, Josh and I continued our back-and-forth visiting in the beginning of the year. He came down a few times and we hit up Sausalito, the Ferry Building, and other SF city favorites. I also made my way up for a few visits to Eugene where we toured the nearby vineyards.
Time with the Family
My parents and my exchange "brother," Kilian, visited me up in the bay area a couple of times this year. During these visits, we made it to many of our usual spots like Muir Woods, a trip to SCU campus, and around SF.
Also, I headed down to Encinitas for my "home fix." Easter was celebrated with our big baskets full of goodies. More recently, I headed down the week before Thanksgiving where I got to experience the Olivenhain Town Hall Christmas Fair yet again (this time without selling hair scrunchies or pies).
The Windy City
In April, I went out to Chicago to celebrate my grandma's big 88th birthday. The whole O'Neill family ventured over to a German restaurant for the festivities. We also got to tour around the windy city a bit with Kilian and meet my baby cousin, Riley.
Summer
Before my big move (see next bullet), I had a whirl wind of events all within just a couple of weeks. Josh and I headed down to San Diego for his cousin's graduation. The post-graduation party was a baseball game San Diego's own Petco Stadium. Then there was a wedding to attend for another one of Josh's cousins in the bay area. Lastly, towards mid-summer, I was wrapped up things at work and started packing.
The Big Move
At the end of June, I made the big move up to Oregon to be near Josh. After two years of long distance, we decided we'd had enough. No more once of month visits, ugh! Josh is in his last year of law school, so I moved up to help support him through the rest of the year. It was all very bitter sweet for me as I've grown to love the bay area over the past 8 something years, not to mention the friends and coworkers. My employer, Acxiom, was very understanding and even let me work remotely for the first 2-1/2 months. Unfortunately, the company has a policy against remote workers, so I was only able to stay on until the end of August.
The Busiest Month of my Life
Josh and I literarily had something going on every weekend of August. We started with a big visit my German friends Caroline and Gerald. We meet up for a long weekend in Seattle and Vancouver. We had a blast (and got the hottest weather on Seattle's record). Gerald and Caroline traveled during the week while Josh and I worked slash went to school, but then we met up again at the end of their trip in Portland. Caroline and I had some bonding time with our nails.
Not only did I have German visitors, but a Dutch one as well. My friend Irene from Holland also got to visit Portland. We ventured out of the city together to see Multnomah Falls and the Columbia Gorge area. It was beautiful. That's all I can say.
Oh, and the month wasn't nearly over. We also had visits from both sets of parents and a trip down to Sacramento for a college friend's wedding. Awesome August!
Barista Life Begins
Since my 4+ years with Acxiom came to a finish at the end of August, I started my next job search. With Josh finishing up law school, and the economy, I decided my best option was to find something that might carry around to other cities, provide benefits, do something I've always wanted to do, and be temporary (not really planning on staying in Eugene post law school). Starbucks was the answer.
Starting the beginning of October, I was Valley River Center Starbucks newest barista. Little did I know how much there is to learn and remember on all the Starbucks drinks! It's been a fun change of pace from the usual desk job and I enjoy meeting all the new people (and regulars).
Hobbies
With some more time on my hands, I've been able to spend some more timing doing things I enjoy. For those of you following my blog, I've been cooking and baking up a storm. I also am trying to learn to knit. However, I'm finding I only can do one switch (even when I think I'm doing a different stitch, sigh). There is obvious blogging hobby now too.
Oregon Life
I'm enjoying living in a new state. You know, I've lived in CA my entire live. Oregon is a gorgeous and friendly state (expect you've got to change those CA plates quick like). One of my favorite state introductions was a day trip out to the McKenzie River. Josh and I took a nice hike, saw covered bridges, and enjoyed the nature. The coast is also nearby and we made a nice weekend out for Josh's birthday.
Mom's 60th in Napa
Early December my mom had a big rendezvous of friends in Napa to join in the celebration of her 60th birthday. Three groups of family friends and our immediate family enjoyed a pleasant, yet rainy extended weekend visit to Napa. I think we probably visited all the wineries in the area by the amount of wine that was tasted (ok, exaggeration there). All in all, good times were had by all.
That was my "quick" recap of my 2009. It's been a year full of change for me, but its all been good change. I'm happy to be near Josh again and we are both excited for the last semester of law school to come to a close and find what lies ahead. As I generally do around the holidays, I've been thinking about all my family and friends. Many of whom helped and supported me through all this year's changes. I'm truly lucky and blessed to have such great family and friends - thank you all!
In the words of Tiny Tim, "God Bless us, everyone!" Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! ~Heather
Check out my year in photos with the below video (and remember to read my blog in 2010):
Today we received a tall, medium sized box in the mail. What in the dickens is it? Why a Christmas tree in the mail of course! Josh's parents, Don and Nada, figured out a way to send holiday spirit in the mail. I was super excited when we opened the box to find a cute, little tree to brighten up our place. And the bonus...lights and ornaments were included! Now our place has more holiday spirit (and smells good too). Thanks Don & Nada!
I knew this weekend's trip to Napa to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday was not going to be a simple wine tasting affair the minute I received an email from my father. This email was a minute-to-minute itinerary of our trip with maps, reviews, and reservations - a 33 page document (and I'm not kidding). Usually this sort of itinerary is for our mega Europe trips and the itinerary is neatly organized into a white binder which we've all come to know as the bible. This was not in a white binder, but it was awful close especially considering we were gone for only 3 days.
It all began after my morning shift on Thursday. I dashed home, de-coffeed (I have to do this now b/c after work I smell like fresh brewed cup of coffee), and rushed to the Eugene Airport. I flew to Oakland with a stop-over in Portland. Actually, as I was waiting to take off on the Eugene to Portland segment, the flight attendant came up to me and asked if I worked at the Starbucks near the mall. Why yes I said. Well, they enjoyed a wonderful cup this morning from us. Too funny! I got good service on that portion of the trip. The rest of the trip went well, and I arrived to Oakland where I was picked up by Don & Sue Hartley and Pat Richardson. We all drove together to met up with the rest of the entourage already in Napa (or I should say, St Helena's). With us all there (albeit late in the evening), the celebrations began!
This celebration involved the gathering of family and friends (friends that are so close their family now really)--The Harleys, The Richardsons, The Troglers, and our little immediate O'Neill fam (we missed you Chicago fam!). The majority of us stayed together in a house that the Ink House B&B rents out for big parties like us, a place called the Carriage House. It's a very cute little B&B up in the St. Helena area.
But really the weekend was about two things: Mom/Jan and Wine. My mom was in high spirits the entire weekend (in fact, those of us in the B&B know from the singing from the shower) and the wine was plentiful. Now, I'm not a wine fanatic like some in the group, but we did taste some very fine wines. And how could we not? We visited practically all the wineries in the area, so we were bound to get some good ones. Here's the run down on the vineyards:
We toured almost at each winery, so now we are all highly educated in the Napa wines and vines. We all thought it funny, and very accurate, when I called my dad Teacher's Pet. He was in his element--walking ahead with the winery's tour guide, asking questions (edging on interrogation), and giving his input. A classic pose is displayed on my Flickr site (fyi-I created an album for this trip). My mom was just happy drinking the wine and enjoying the company.
To go with the wine, we had some very tasty food. The big birthday dinner was at Auberge Du Soleil, a fancy restaurant. shmancy were you get courses and such. The other delicious meal was at a Don Giovannis, a nice Italian restaurant. A other fun spots were Taylor's Refresher, Dean and Deluccas, and the Model Bakery. Yum!
I think this was the first time I've spent in Napa were I tasted the wine and found some were my usual "hum" (as in, it's ok) was like more of a ohh, hmm (as in, actually not bad & might drink 1/2 a glass). My favorite was Quixote with it's neat architecture. It reminded me of Sintra, Portugal and a castle there with lots of color and interesting shapes. Others said it reminded them of Barcelona and Gaudi.
The end of our trip was a half day in SF before our flights. We did a quick stop at the Ferry Building. Then we did a mini walk at the Land's End & Cliff House area, which was beautiful as ever. And as we headed back to Oakland, I made a pit stop at Yumi. Heather Returns! It was heaven again (I haven't hyped it up in my mind, it's still just that good).
Today didn't start off so great and it got worse by about 3:30pm. It started when I got to the gym and realized I'd forgotten my running shoes. I had to drive all the way back home and then back to the gym. Ugh. I got "over it" and after a decent workout decided to hit up the wonderful world of Target.
As I began driving to Target, I contemplated the route. Hmm, which way would be the quickest? After some contemplation, I decided on Jefferson to 11th which would bring me to straight to Target. Jefferson was a BAD choice.
As I was sitting at a red light in traffic (it's a busy street), cheering with my Christmas music, I was suddenly jerking back-and-forth. It was like everything went into slow motion as I saw myself/car headed into the car ahead of me. Crash, bang, boom! I was now a victim; a victim stuck in the middle of a 3 car accident. Since nobody really knew what to do, I took the "lead" on directing people to exchange info and whatnot (and my iPhone came in handy - took pics of licenses, cars, and such). The guy that hit me was younger and apparently not watching ahead and didn't see the cars stopped ahead. I guess he was waiving to some girl on the sidewalk (ha -awkward for him). Sadly for me, he was going pretty fast when he hit so now my neck hurts a bit. Fingers crossed I'm not to achy for work tomorrow. <insert sorry-for-Heather sigh here>
Anyhoo, the day did end well. Josh took me to my favorite Thai place, Target (yes, got there at last), and then TCBY for froyo (Yes, I eat it even though it's 30s to 40s outside now. The trick is to eat it at the store where it's warmer, go in the car with the heater cranked up). To wrap up the day, I took a nice, hot bath. What a day!!
P.S. The good news: nobody got seriously hurt (and my car just needs some body work on the front & back...)
Oh my, two blog entries in one day. What is she thinking? Well, this second one today is going to be short, but I just had to share with the world that I've been chillin' in coffee shops all morning with my Mac. The reason: EWEB shut our electricity down from 8:30am until about 2:30pm (it's 2:05pm and I'm thinking I'll head home again soon, so let's hope their 2:30pm time frame is accurate). The first place was Midtown. Usually their lattes are much better so I was a bit bummed--should have gone to Sbux hehe. The temperature was also a bit cold there and it was quite noisy (lots of plate banging, etc). Who's whining right?
Now I'm at Supreme Bean. I had a savory crepe (the ones with buckwheat that I love) for lunch. It was not their best crepe performance, but I've had them done very well here so never fear, I'll return. On the positive side, it's much warmer and less loud here.
(For the record, I wasn't really leeching, both places offer free wifi service - and I was good and checked first. No leeching, just sounded good.)
The other reason for the second entry was because I wanted to share my picture of these adorable ornaments.
...my true love gave to me...permission to start watching Christmas movies! Okay, honestly I could have started earlier if I wanted (and we sorta did with the 3D movie); however, as I said before, we must give Thanksgiving due justice. I mean the pilgrims worked hard to get across that ocean and get going over here. And by golly, we must celebrate that momentous occasion with food and friends (and yes, I just say by golly...it's a good phrase, try it).
So now it's post-Thanksgiving, which means all Christmas is ON. By "on" I mean: music, movies, decorations, shopping, cooking/baking, and reading. All of it. Makes me all giddy. I just love the holidays. Just so you have enough time to watch them all before the 25th, I'm going to list my xmas movie favorites. Plus I really thought a movie list would be clever since Christmas is full of lists. This list is a good list (no bad or coal here, nor need to check it twice). I wouldn't dare say this list is anything near that the length or importance of Santa's great list, but it's a pretty darn good list with commentary too.
Enough of this lengthy intro (did I get you excited for it?), let's get to it. Here is my movie list. Let's call it my joy.us must-see Christmas movie list:
The Muppet Christmas Carol- I know what you're thinking, "that's a kids movie, no thanks." I counter that (Josh's legal terms are rubbing off) with so what! Not only is it one of the best christmas stories of all time, it's with muppets! Can't beat that. Oh wait except that it's singing muppets. I know all the songs by heart and have the CD too which would go on my fav xmas music list. Plus there is comic relief in it with Rizzo the Rat who is there for the food. And Gonzo thinks he is Charles Dickens. Every time I watch it I find a little humorous thing they've discretely inserted into the movie. I saw a user comment that I agree with: "witty, far too good for kids." Oh, and Michael Caine is in it. Just watch it.
Scrooge - This is a West Coast O'Neill family favorite. If you know us, it's best that you watch it so you know what the heck we are singing when we break out into random song about liking life or thank you very much. And yes, you are catching on to a theme here, we like music in our movies. As a heads-up, this is an older movie that was made back in 1970. But don't let that prevent you, the songs are quite good and it's a good, heart-warming movie.
Miracle on 34th Street and Miracle on 34th Street (No typo) - There are two versions of this movie that I enjoy and watch each year. Once is a black and white version made in 1947. I like see how each version differs. Like will the judge get a dollar bill or a pile of letters from the post office? Does Santa speak Swedish or do sign language for the little kid? Is it Macy's department store or a store they make like Macys but don't actually call Macys? No music in this one, so if you're not the musical type, these might be a better route for you. Both versions here still have that heart-warming xmas message.
Christmas Vacation - Time for some xmas humor. What kid doesn't want the super xmas lighting job that appears on the Griswold home? I mean the squirrel and the tree. I'm already chuckling to myself. It's the typical family disasters taken up a notch. It's over the top humor, but not so much that you're disappointed.
Home Alone - No way can you beat a kid defending his home with all sorts of pranks -- pranks that both makes you laugh and cringe. If this movie doesn't bring out the kid in you, I don't know what will. Kevin get to do all sorts of crazy, fun stuff (although "don't try this at home" type). An added benefit is that the music is surprisingly good (although background mostly). John Candy makes an appearance too with a polka band.
A Christmas Story - Yet another humor xmas movie. Actually some of the humor I didn't get until I was a tad bit older. For instance, fragile and the lamp. But this is a true, 100%, all American Christmas classic. I don't know how you could not like this movie. Ralphie tells his Christmas in true kid fashion. Not to mention the bunny costume or Randy falling on his back an added funny bonus. Oh and you learn stuff too like not to stick your tongue out in the cold to a pole.
It's a Wonderful Life - I always used to push this one aside when I was younger because it was black and white. Boring. Then back in college or so I decided to actually watch the whole thing. And now it's a favorite. It just makes you realize the important, good things in life. I think Josh might watch this with new eyes now that he's gone through law school, but that doesn't mean he won't be watching it with me (mwahaha). Seriously though, this one sends a good message. Watch to find out why life is worth living!
A few other options if you get through all of the above and need more - The Holiday has some Christmas scenes which gives it Christmas movie status. It just a cute love story with some good actors. The Polar Express has some good music and the animation is neat, but it's a bit weird in some parts (the same weird category as the newest A Christmas Carol I saw last week). Love Actually is good, but nothing great. I just like the one song in it by Mariah Carey.
I could (and just may) make even more Christmas lists. Perhaps one on cookie recipes, books, or music. Christmas is full of so much good stuff!
Josh and I no longer have problems with those dang turkeys that roam around our front yard now that Thanksgiving has come and gone. Did you think I was serious? I mean that last picture I shared earlier in the year had them eating off the road...YUCK! Like we'd eat those turkeys. We did, however, make our first Thanksgiving turkey this year. Okay, it was only part of a turkey, but it was a whomping 6 Ib bone-in turkey breast.
Since I worked everyday during the Thanksgiving weekend with the longest hours on Thursday, we decided to celebrate on Friday instead when I only worked until 2pm. I prepped everything in advance, so Friday went smoothly. I followed a combination of two recipes - Alton Brown and Ina Garten. We decided to brine the turkey (which we've decided that we'll always do from now on since it makes it so delicious). And the herbs from Ina's recipes really added a nice touch. In fact, I would consider doing this same herb rub technique with a chicken or pork too! We did have some troubles with the roasting time since our little thermometer was apparently broken. But not to worry, we just popped it back in the oven and it turned out perfectly. Overall, the turkey came out a success - moist and flavorful.
We didn't just have turkey. I also made a sweet potato casserole I made with rave reviews last Christmas (everyone wanted the recipes). It didn't let me down this year either. Then one of our guests said that it wasn't Thanksgiving without green bean casserole, so I whipped up one of those as well. I'd never made one before so I tried another Alton Brown recipe - another keeper. The other food was brought by our guests - cornbread stuffing, creamy cauliflower, roasted carrots, chocolate bourbon cake, pecan bars, and more. A feast indeed!
Since Thanksgiving is full of friends and family, we were excited to be able to see some friends from the Bay Area over the weekend as well. Jeff and Melissa, some very special friends, have family up on Roseburg, OR (about 1.25 hours south of Eugene). They were up seeing family for the holiday, so Josh and I drove down to Roseburg on Saturday to have brunch. It was incredibly great to see them - it had been since early summer when I left the bay area! For all you friends that are reading this...we miss you!
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's on to Christmas. Bring out the music, the movies, the decorations!! And a movie review post is in the works too.
Oh my goodness, I just had to share this recipe with you all...these cookies are scrumptious. I decided to get my kitchen going today (not to mention it warms up the house) and try out a new Molasses Spice Cookies recipe. They are crispy on the edge and softer in the center. For my twist I used turbinado sugar for the rolling. This really gave them texture and an extra pazaow of sweetness.
For some insight on the secret: the recipe is from a blog I follow called Simply Recipes. I think the writer, Elise Bauer, is quite well known in the blog world. And I would agree as I made many successful dishes from her (btw, I follow a bunch of blogs--many of which are food/recipes blogs).
After the cookies were out of the oven, I moved on to dinner making. Tonight was Rachael Ray's Straw and Hay pasta. Which turned out to be yet another success of the evening. We really enjoyed this quick, simple yet tasty dish. I got this one from watching the Rachael Ray Show. It's on every weekday morning from 9-10am. I know, I know, the Rachael Ray Show, really Heather? However, I must say that I'm learning (since I have more time in the day with Starbuck shift schedule) that daytime TV is not great. And early in the mornings, even Food Networks doesn't have much but paid programming (and it's worse at 4:30am or 6am..bah).
More cooking later this week cuz it's Turkey time! (we're doing it Friday instead though)
Nothing grandiose, but I got my photo published in a online travel guide called Schmap Vancouver Guide. Apparently they found my photo on Flickr and asked if it could be used (no mulla for me sadly) in their November publication. I thought why not, so now it's published. Check it out...
Ducks are the mascot at University of Oregon. I say it's no wonder with all the rain. The mascot needs to paddle around. I was driving to the gym today and the streets were like mini rivers. Everyone warned me of the rain, and it's been what I've expected so far. Actually, so far it's been better than I thought. Up to this point, the rain has been more like the Red light, Green Light, Yellow Light game. Did you ever play that game? Oregon plays it a lot with the rain. It doesn't rain, it does rain, then it just is on the verge of rain. It skips through these phases like every 30 minutes. One day can be a whole range of weather. And it doesn't pour a lot, but rather a constant drizzle. The locals tell me to layer up, so I bought another fleece a week or so ago. To be honest, right now the rain isn't so much of an issue as the temperature. It's just so cold--inside and out. Burrr! Next on my shopping list: rain boots and those gloves that have the finger flap.
A few songs I sing when I see the rain (cold):
Blind Melon's No Rain
Heather Nova's London Rain
Ella's Baby, It's Cold Outside (ok, it's not a rain song, but it is COLD)
Milli Vanilli's Blame It On the Rain
BJ Thomas' Rain Drops Keep Fallin' On My Head
Not sure the name: It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring. He went to bed and bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning.
Although this is not a holiday and/or seasonal drink, cappuccino is a classic favorite of mine. In fact, it reminds me of visits to Europe--Germany, Holland, etc. I still like mine sweetened up with vanilla (if that's not available, then add in the Splendas for sure). How to “call it” (order it)? Tall (or double tall), sugar-free vanilla, nonfat, cappuccino. Enjoy the foam...it's the best part!
I just returned from a nice, long weekend trip to Encinitas, my other home. It was a busy, but fabulous weekend with my family. Sadly I won't be home for Thanksgiving, so this was a good pre-holiday visit and I got some quality family time. Because it was such a busy-busy weekend, I'm going bullet style on this one...
Flying: Luckily I was able to fly instead of drive. The drive would be something like 18-20 hours (I think), so this way I got much more time with the family instead of time in the car. Since Eugene is such a tiny airport, there are not too many direct flights. Usually you have to fly to Portland, Seattle, or San Francisco and then onto your final destination. Yes, I could go to Portland airport, but that is another 2 hour drive and then you need to park, yada yada. Anyhoo, my flight layover was in San Francisco. Landing and seeing all the familiar sites brought back all sorts of good memories--made me miss the bay area. I even saw the green roofs of the storage building next door to my old apartment. Not to mention, the very common SFO delay.
Pre-Thanksgiving Turkey: I'm not lying in my blog title, it really was an early holiday celebration. When I arrived home on Thursday evening, my mom had put together all the works: roast turkey, salad, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and butternut squash. Oh how I love turkey - gobble gobble goodness.
Usuals: Every trip home is full of usual, must-do activities. To start, I got my hair cut at my favorite salon, Entourage. Nada, Josh's mom, introduced me to these wonderful ladies a few years ago. Nikki did my hair this time and we added some dark blond under-tones and a bit longer on the sides. Also, my mom and I went and had our oh-so-relaxing pedicures. I picked a fun Christmas color called Glove You So Much (aren't nail polish names fun--interesting job, nail color decider).
Discovery: As I was betraying my Starbucks and getting a Winter Dream Tea Latte at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in the Forum, I spied a "coming soon" for the Counter Burger. Yes, one of my favorite restaurants from the bay is coming to Encinitas. If only it were open now! They say December - let's certainly hope so I can eat it on my next visit home.
Dogs: Not just Keely, but many dogs. Many, many dogs. In fact, I counted about 25 dogs. And all at the Vista Sun "Dog" Park. This is my mom's dream come true, while I was reminded of the movie All Dogs go to Heaven. On week nights, the neighborhood dog owners all come out and let their dogs lose at Sun Vista, a "new" park down the street from our house (the area below the former "dirt area" off La Posta and I say "new" because it's not really new but still seems new to me since it was build after I moved to the bay area). The dog people were talking about walking at the Encinitas Christmas Parade - HA, that'd be hilarious.
Olivenhain Craft Fair: Bummer for mankind, no scrunchies or Judy's pies this year at the fair (many of you may know the story of Jessica and I hosting a stand at the fair when we were kids). Saturday morning, Sue, Pat, my mom, and I were dropped off at the fair (dad=taxi). Mom and I used to go to this fair every year, so I was line memory lane walking around. I got a fuzzy, soft scarf to help battled the cold Oregon weather. FYI - Olivenhain Meeting Hall is the area were Lindsay and I used to ride horses!
Oregon Influences: I made a comment at the hair salon how nice the weather was that day--they all looked at my weirdly. Good weather? It's like mid 60s and it hit me that this is SoCal, not Oregon and this is cold. Here I am all happy it's warm; my SoCal roots are failing me! Then I had to get gas for my mom's car, and I was actually happy to pump my own gas (rather than awkward instruct the gas person "uh full tank, filler 'er up, regular, uhhh...).
Food: O'Neills are big on food, so I am obligated to write about some highlights on where and what was eaten. Qe'ro, a super delicious Peruvian restaurant on 101 in downtown Encinitas. I had tasty sweet potatoes, sage roasted mushrooms, and swiss chard dish. All caramelized goodness. I even sneaked a few bites of my mom's chicken and quinoa. Roy's La Jolla, always a favorite with the melt-in-your-mouth misoyaki butterfish and Hawaiian Martini. Chicks, my hole-in-the-wall chicken rice bowl favorite.
Froyo: Back to California means back to froyo land. Hurray! Of course I had to indulge daily. Sadly former favorite, La Costa Yogurt Shack was a bit of a disappointment since they apparently changed ownership and yogurt brands a few months ago (yes, I asked). However, Golden Spoon came through as usual (must say they are consistent there and never fail to please). Plus more seem to be popping up--just too little time! Most notable flavor of the visit: cinnamon.
Lindsay: Lindsay has been crazy busy with applications and the end of the semester, so we decided to meet halfway between Encinitas and Pasadena - at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. We made Grandma Ruth jealous and had lunch at Claim Jumper (that's one of Grandma's favs). Lindsay opened her b-day gift from me (btw her actual b-day is 11/18 which happens to be my parent's anniversary as well). Then we shopped around the mall for some early Christmas gifts. Last, we ended up at Starbucks for a tea break--apparently I just can't get enough (that or my family found out about my discount).
And that concludes my wonderful (and sunny/warm) weekend at home. Next trip coming soon...Napa for my mom's 60th B-day in December! Oh, and don't forget to check out more pictures on Flickr!
Two homes. One girl. You heard me right; I have two homes. One home is here in Eugene and the other is in Encinitas (childhood slash where my parents still live). And it is to my Encinitas home that I'm headed for this afternoon. I'm flying down for a long weekend. I'm looking forward to enjoying some quality time with my parents and it'll be a nice little break from the rain (but the rain ain't that bad really). Plus, this will give Josh some time to focus in on finals prep which is coming up. I'll write a weekend recap when I return! Don't miss me too much--wink wink.
Who says s'mores is just for camping and bonfires? Not Josh and me! We decided tonight's snack would be marshmallows roasted over the stovetop. Yes, that's right, we roasted them over an electric stove on high. And the results were...wait for it...heavenly.
Josh made his s'mores the traditional way with graham cracker, chocolate, and roasted marshmallow. However, I decided to add a twist to mine by adding some delicious and nutritious bananas. I couldn't believe the success. Guess who added bananas onto their second serving?! Yup, that's right, Josh (never doubt my creations again mwahahaha).
Another yummy, gooey snack (not to mention also a nice & warm snack--perfect in our 58 degree living room).
Starbucks doesn't have a really Mexcian hot chocolate or mocha mix like you might find in other coffee shops or at the supermarket. For instance, those Abuelita Mexican Chocolate tablets you can buy. However you can mix up a drink that gets close to the real thing. I really didn't come up with this, but rather a customer asked for a Mexican Mocha. I said we didn't have it sadly, but then looped in my colleague to see if she had any brilliant ideas. She certainly did (worked at SBux for years and always has some fun ideas). Here's what came up and how to “call it”: (fyi: it's my "skinny" version of it): double tall, sugar-free cinnamon dolce, non-fat, no whip, cinnamon sprinkles, 1 pump mocha. Yum!
Actually, there is not a inch of bah-humbug in me (or with holidays). But there is, ok there was, in Scrooge! And so, it was with bah-humbug that Josh and I decided to kick-start our holiday season.
I know it's early, but the stores* are doing it, so why not? I'm probably a hypocrite going to see a Christmas movie before Thanksgiving since I'm always saying how we need to celebrate each holiday. Poor little Thanksgiving always gets brushed aside in the big Christmas preparation rush. Seriously, we still need to appreciate Thanksgiving. It deserves it's rightful time and enjoyment, not to mention my love for turkey and all the goodies that come along with it (yum, leftovers).
*Side Note: Starbucks is starting Christmas already with our holiday cups, special drinks (eggnog, gingerbread, and creme brulee), and coffee blends.
Anyhoo, Christmas is coming none-the-less and I must begin preparing. I'll start with movie watching (the music I only give myself permission to start the day after Thanksgiving -- Josh will love that I'm sure). The movie I really need to start because there are so many favorites that I must watch each year. So little time, so many movies! By the way, I'll write a post on my Christmas favorites soon.
The actual purpose of this entry was to tell you about the movie I that started the holidays this year. It was Disney's A Christmas Carol 3D with Jim Carrey. Charles Dickens' classic tale has always been a special story. I enjoy watching all the different variations / versions and I've even read the book. We decided to see the flick Friday night (later at night so as to miss the kiddie crowd). Here's some thoughts on the movie:
Special Features - The movie wasn't over done with 3D features. As tempting as I imagine it might be for a director, there weren't many scenes added just because it was 3D and would be "cool." Rather the effects were nicely weaved into the film so that I even forgot it was 3D at times. It was my first time seeing 3D (besides Captain-E-O at Disneyland). Although it was a fun experience, Josh and I found it was a bit pricey (luckily I had some handy Regal gift certificates to use). I'm not sure if we'd pay the big buck for it on too many occasions. I think it's Hollywood's idea to get us back at the theaters, but it's just too much mulla right now.
True to Story - This very seemed to stick true to Dickens' tale. In fact, so close that parts were pretty darn scary. When you think about it, the tale wasn't really meant to be a children's story, but to get the holiday spirit going again in Britain. Read more.
Setting - Josh and I really enjoyed some of the images and scenes of the story's setting. For instance, at the begin the film took us flying over London--showing fun famous points of interest and whatnot. Actually, it really made us want to go back for a visit (and good memories from our trip a few years ago).
Scary, Bizarre, yet Humorous - I made a comment on the movie being scary above, but I thought I'd give some more detail. We all know the 3rd ghost is really the scariest, but I thought he was down-right frightening in this version. I mean, how do kids watch this and not have nightmares? And the usual jolly ghost of Christmas Present, my favorite by the way, had some scary moments. You might recall how he only has a certain amount of time upon this Earth. Well, the ending to "his time" was a bit chilling (this ain't Halloween folks, what the heck?!?). The first ghost was a bit bizarre if you ask me--portrayed as a candle. Plus some of the facial movements of the ghosts and whatnot throughout the movie were a bit strange. But there were some humor twisted in as well. I though mini Scrooge funny and some of the remarks they added caused some laughter.
Overall, the movie was entertaining and fun. And being that to entertain is the purpose of movies, then that means it was a success. Josh and I were glad we went and saw the movie. I would recommend it as a Netflix or if you haven't seen a 3D flick get, then go see it in the theaters!
Remember, coming soon is a entry on Christmas favorites--movies (plus other A Christmas Carol version I love), books, and more baking.
I love Christmas movies. I watch the same ones every year, you know, the classics like A Muppets Christmas Carol and Elf. I kid. I also enjoy It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. What's your favorite Christmas movie?
This letter could be like watching a movie: the story of our 2023. Grab a hot cocoa and a blanket, and I'll tell you this year's story.
It's December, and the holiday season is upon us. We are running (yes, with two boys, we are literally running) to all the Christmas events. It's also a time to step back and reflect on the year. It's been a wonderful year of splashing, adventuring, and enjoying our home in the Pacific Northwest.
The Christmas songs are playing, the movies are being watched, we are snuggled with books before bedtime…Christmas has arrived here at the Brown family home. While this year (and even more so, last year) has been a bit masked of normalcy (see what I did there), we still have had a most wonderful year. A year full of growth, love, learning, goofy dancing, and ninja moves.
We are still loving our home in Tacoma with our two boys and crazy dog. We've lived in Tacoma for five years now, and there is no doubt it's home sweet home to us now. We have built some strong friendships that we know will last a lifetime. We are truly happy here!
Well, this year sure hasn't been a walk in the park. It has definitely had some hardships, and our heart goes out to everyone who has experienced tragedy.
But it's also been an amazing and blessed year for our family. And the truth is, we've taken many walks in the park; it was one of the few things that kept us sane during lockdowns with two crazy kiddos.
